1.The age-old question about Prince Hamlet asks what, ultimately, his problem is. What do you
think is the underlying issue(s) that affects Hamlet? Analyze one or two of Hamlet’s soliloquies
to support your thesis.
2. In Act 1, Scene 4, when Hamlet first sees the Ghost, he says he doesn’t know if it is a true ghost
or a demon. What do you make of the Ghost? Analyze the Ghost’s speech and actions and its
influence upon Hamlet to support your thesis.
3. In his first soliloquy, in Act 1, Scene 2, Hamlet implies that he has thought about suicide (“selfslaughter”)
but hasn’t committed it because it is against sacred law. In the “To be, or not to be”
soliloquy, in Act 3, Scene 1, he admits to himself that he is afraid of death and the afterlife.
Ophelia, on the other hand, does commit suicide. What do these facts reveal about Ophelia?
How does she compare to Hamlet?
This is an essay assignment. You need an introduction with a lead-in, context, and an argumentative
thesis. You need body paragraphs with clear main ideas and analysis that develop the argument in
the thesis. You need a conclusion that reiterates your main points and offers some general
commentary.
Spend some time brainstorming to formulate a thesis and main ideas. Then, write an outline in
which you lay out your thesis, topic sentences, and supporting analysis. After you’ve written the
essay, read it aloud to make sure it presents a coherent argument.
Checklist
• Introduction: Focused argumentative thesis in response to the prompt
• Body: Topic sentences that express main idea of each paragraph
• Body: Analysis of specific passages for support
• Throughout: Clear academic language
• Throughout: Few to no grammar and punctuation errors
Attached Hamlet and final instructions
